Compound-sealed cable connector



March 18, 1958 A. JVWAYMAN COMPOUND-SEALED CABLE CONNECTOR Filed cat.31, 1951 L all/1% J INVENTOR /4 Bf/PTJ. WNW/K,

BY W 4 44W I ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,827,509 COMPOUND-SEALEDCABLE CONNECTOR Albert J. Wayman, East Palestine, Ohio ApplicationOctober 31, 1951, Serial No. 254,171

3 Claims. (Cl. 174-77) This invention relates to electric cableconnectors and in particular to a connector for making a water-tight andmoisture-proof joint between an electric cable and a terminal box, metercasing or other housing member.

The present invention is of the same general type as the connectorsdisclosed in my prior U. S. Patents Nos. 2,092,343 and 2,100,824, theconnector being formed of a cylindrical sleeve surrounding the cable andcontaining an annular ring of permanently plastic adhesive materialforming a seal between the inner surface of the sleeve and the outersurface of the cable.

Before a cable connector can be approved by the Underwriters Laboratory,it must be shown that the connector will withstand a pull-out force ofat least fifty pounds, that is, the connector must hold the cableagainst lengthwise movement under a pull-out force of at least fiftypounds.

A particular object of the present invention is to de vise a water-tightconnector of the compound-seal type and embodying means for locking thecable in position in the connector, the lock being sufiiicient to resistat least a fifty-pound pull-out force.

A more specific object is to devise a cable-locking arrangement whichengages the cable outside of the connector sleeve so that the lockingarrangement does not interfere with the ring of sealing compound withinthe sleeve.

My connector also involves the use of a ring of tapered cross-sectionpositioned within the outer end of the connector sleeve and provided forthe purpose of compressing the sealing compound inwardly against thesurface of the cable and outwardly against the inner surface of thesleeve. In my prior constructions, this ring is carried by a cap whichcloses the outer end of the connector sleeve, the cap being providedwith an aperture for receiving the cable and fitting closely about thecable to prevent the escape of the sealing compound. In sucharrangements, a screw cap could not be employed where the cable is ofoval cross-section.

In my present connector, the compound-compressing ring is formedseparate from the sleeve cap, and the cap is formed of the screw-captype having a round central opening sufliciently large to receive thelargest cable to be used with the connector. The escape of compound fromthe outer end of the sleeve is prevented by having the aperture in thecompressing ring closely conform with the shape of the cable. Thus,rings having different sizes of apertures may be provided for differentcables.

In my improved connector, illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the connector mounted upon alength of cable.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the connector insection taken along a central longitudinal plane parallel with the planeof the paper.

Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 2 as seen from the position of line3-3 in Figure 2.

2,827,509 Patented Mar. 18, 1958 Figure 4 is an end view of theconnector as seen from the line 4-4 in Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the connector is formed of a cylindricalsleeve 1 having a screw thread 1a formed on the inner end thereof forthreaded engagement with a tapped hole in a meter casing or forreceiving a mounting nut, not here shown, when the connector is to bemounted in a knock-out hole of a terminal box or any other housing intowhich the cable 2 has to be introduced. Near the middle of the sleeve, acircular flange 1b forms an abutment against which the wall of thehousing is clamped by the mounting nut. The flange 1b provides a flatannular surface forming a seat for a sealing gasket between the flangeand the mounting wall. Adjacent this flange 1b is a nut section 1cformed of hexagonal shape so that a wrench may be employed to hold, orto turn, the connector in mounting it in a tapped hole.

The space within the sleeve 1 surrounding the cable 2 is filled with aring of permanently plastic adhesive sealing compound, indicated at 3.Material suitable for this purpose is available on the market under theJohns Manville Corporation trade name Duxseal. The connector sleeve maybe provided with a transverse wall 1e spaced from the outer end of thesleeve and having an aperture for receiving the cable 2, the aperturebeing shaped to fit closely around the outer surface of the cable toprevent escape of the compound. It will be understood, however, that thetransverse wall le is not essential, because the sealing compound issufliciently stiff to be retained in the sleeve without the aid of thetransverse" wall. This wall may be provided where it is desiredto limitthe amount of compound required to form an effective seal.

At the outer end of the sleeve is arranged a detachable screw-cap 4,which is threaded to engage a screw thread 1d formed on the outer endsection of the sleeve. This cap is formed with a circular aperture 4a inits top wall of such size as to allow the passage of the largest cablethat may be used with the connector. The outside edge of the cap isformed of hexagonal shape so that awrench may be employed in turning it.

Positioned within the outer end of the sleeve 1, is acompound-compressing ring 5 having a tapered crosssection, as shown inFigure 2. The ring is pressed into the sealing compound 3 within thesleeve, and the tapered faces of the ring serve to press part of thecompound inwardly in close contact with the outer surface of the cableand another part outwardly into engagement with the inner cylindricalsurface of the sleeve 1. The ring 5 is provided with a radiallyextending flange 5a at the base of the tapered section. This flange isof an outside diameter larger than the inside diameter of the sleeve 1and larger than the diameter of aperture 4a in cap 4, but smaller thanthe inside diameter of the cap 4. The inwardly directed annular flangeof the cap 4 is positioned to engage the circular flange 5a and to pressthe ring 5 inwardly when the cap is screwed upon the sleeve.

The arrangement for locking the cable to the connector is formedintegrally with the compressing ring. The ring is provided with an axialextension on its outer face and projecting through the circular aperturein the cap 4. This extension may be in the form of a sleeve, but in thearrangement illustrated in the drawing it is formed of two parallel arms5b and 50 arranged on opposite sides of the cable, as illustrated in thedrawing. As shown in Figure 3, the arms 5b and 5c extend outwardly fromring 5 and are located on opposite sides of the ovalshaped aperture inring 5, that is, they are positioned adjacent the broad sides of theaperture whereby they embrace the broad or fiat faces of the cable 2.The cable is clamped between these two arm extensions by means of aclamping screw 6 threaded in arm Sb and pressing the cable against thearm 50. In order to prevent injury to the cable covering by the end ofthe screw 6, a U-shaped metallic guard 7 is arranged with one of itsarms extending inwardly and positioned between the end of the screw andthe cable, the other arm being arranged on the outside of the armextension b and having an opening through which the screw 6 passes. Byturning the screw 6 the cable may be clamped tightly against the armextension 5c, thus effectively locking the cable to the connector. Thescrew 6 serves to maintain the ring 5 in position within the cap 4during installation of the connector.

It will be noted that the cable-clamping arrangement is located entirelyoutside of the connector sleeve and in an easily accessible position.The aperture in the ring 5 conforms closely with the shape of the cableand prevents any appreciable loss of compound through the aperture. Asalready explained, when the transverse wall la is provided, the aperturein this wall also closely conforms with the shape of the cable, andwhere the cable is flat or oval shaped this arrangement locks theconnector sleeve against turning after the cable has been i installed,and thereby prevents theft of power by the unauthorized removal of theconnector sleeve.

What I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a connector for an end of said sleeveand having a round cable-receiving aperture of a diameter somewhat lessthan the inside diameter of said sleeve, a compound-retaining wallclosing the other end of said sleeve except for an aperture conformingclosely with the outer surface of the cable, a compound-compressing ringhaving a tapered section positioned within said sleeve adjacent said capand having a cable-receiving aperture conforming closely with the outersurface of said cable, said ring being provided with an outwardlyextending flange at the base of said tapered section, said flange beingof an outside diameter larger than the inside diameter of said sleeveand smaller than the inside diameter of said cap, whereby said flangemay be clamped between said cap and the end of said sleeve, said ringhaving an axial extension projecting through the aperture of said cap,and clamping means carried by said extension for locking said ring tosaid cable.

2. As an article of manufacture, a connector for an electric cable ofoval section comprising a sleeve for surrounding said cable, said sleevehaving external screw threads formed on both ends thereof, a mountingflange extending radially from the mid-portion of said sleeve, ascrew-cap having threaded engagement with external threads on one end ofsaid sleeve and having a round cable-receiving aperture in the top wallthereof, a compound-retaining wall closing the other end of said sleeveexcept for an aperture conforming closely with the outer surface of thecable, a ring surrounding said cable within said sleeve adjacent saidcap and having an oval shaped cable-receiving aperture conformingclosely with the outer surface of said cable, said ring having an axialextension projecting through the aperture of said cap, said extensioncomprising a pair of rigid arms extending outwardly from said ringthrough the aperture of said cap and embracing opposite broad sides ofsaid cable, and a clamping screw threaded transversely through one ofsaid arms for clamping said cable against the other arm.

3. As an article of manufacture, a connector for an electric cable ofoval section comprising a sleeve for surrounding said cable, said sleevehaving external screw threads formed on both ends thereof, a mountingflange extending radially from the mid-portion of said sleeve, ascrew-cap having threaded engagement with external threads on one end ofsaid sleeve and having a round cable-receiving aperture of a diametersomewhat less than the inside diameter of said sleeve, acompoundretaining wall closing the other end of said sleeve except foran aperture conforming closely with the outer surface of the cable, acompound-compressing ring having a tapered section positioned withinsaid sleeve adjacent said cap and having an oval shaped cable-receivingaperture conforming closely with the outer surface of said cable, saidring being provided with an outwardly extending flange at the base ofsaid tapered section, said flange being of an outside diameter largerthan the inside diameter of said sleeve and smaller than the insidediameter of said cap, whereby said flange may be clamped between saidcap and the end of said sleeve, a pair of rigid arms extending outwardlyfrom said ring through the aperture of said cap and embracing oppositebroad 1 sides of said cable, and a clamping screw threaded transverselythrough one of said arms for clamping said cable against the other arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHERREFERENCES Electrical World, vol. XLIX, No. 2, page 66 relied upon.January 12, 1906. (Copy in Div. 42.)

